Reusable and stackable containers for poultry shipping and the like are known to the prior art. Typical of such prior art poultry coops are those assembled from upper and lower sections and a door all molded from plastic, polyethylene, for example. With the exception of the door opening, the upper and lower sections are of generally identical construction with the top and bottom walls often being ribbed or corrugated for strength. The side or marginal walls are often constructed to provide ventilation with additional ventilation being provided by holes in the top and bottom walls.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,434 there is described a molded plastic shipping container for live foul consisting essentially of upper and lower sections and a door. Each of the upper and lower sections have a generally rectangular wall with a side or marginal wall extending from its periphery. The marginal wall is directed slightly outward and is provided with a rim at its end for the attachment of one section to another. The section intended as the upper section is provided with an opening which may be covered by a door hingedly attached to the wall of the upper section. The side or marginal walls of the upper and lower sections have spaced openings for ventilation and the main walls of the upper and lower sections are also provided with holes to enhance ventilation.
Among the difficulties encountered with prior art poultry coops such as that illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,330,434 is the inflexibility of the floor (i.e., the main wall of the lower section). The poultry which are transported in poultry coops with such rigid floors frequently develop breast blisters. Also, the screw connection between the door hinge and the main wall of the upper section often results in the failure of that connection after repeated openings of the door. Further, the outward extention of the marginal or side walls reduces their weight carrying ability which restricts the stackability of the poultry coops.